FOOD PROCESSING DEVICE WITH AN EXTERNALLY OPERATED ADJUSTMENT MECHANISM

• US 20140014752A1
• Filed: 09/01/2011
• Published: 01/16/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 02/25/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
• Original Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
• Inventors: Gushwa, David J., Macleod, Euan Skinner, Conti, Michael P., Beber, Kevin James, Hin, Yung Leong, Loebig, Jeffrey Carl, Jie, Qu Zhi, Gillette, Thomas Allen, Rowland, Brent A.
• Granted Patent: US 9,265,381 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 241/100
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 43/04 Machines for domestic use not covered elsewhere, e.g. for grinding, mixing, stirring, kneading, emulsifying, whipping or beating foodstuffs, e.g. power-driven
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 43/046 with tools driven from the bottom side
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 43/0705 for machines with tools driven from the upper side A47J43/0727 - A47J43/08 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 43/0722 Mixing, whipping or cutting tools
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 43/085 for machines with tools driven from the lower side A47J43/087, A47J43/09 take precedence

Abstract

A food processor includes a base and a bowl with a removable lid. Food items are advanced into the bowl through a feed tube formed in the lid where they are cut by a cutting assembly driven by a motor. The cutting assembly is adjustable to vary the thickness of the cut food items. An adjustment assembly positioned in the base is operable to adjust the cutting thickness of the cutting assembly while the cutting assembly is driven by the motor.

Claims

1. A food processor comprising:

a base having a motor positioned therein,

a bowl removably coupled to the base,

a lid removably coupled to the bowl so as to define a processing chamber, the lid having a feed tube that opens into the bowl,

a cutting assembly positioned in the processing chamber and driven by the motor to cut food items advanced through the feed tube, the cutting assembly being positionable between a plurality of cutting positions to produce cut food items of varying thicknesses, and

an adjustment assembly operable to move the cutting assembly between the plurality of cutting positions while the cutting assembly is driven by the motor, the adjustment assembly comprising (i) a sleeve rotatively coupled to the base, (ii) a gear assembly positioned in the base and operable to rotate the sleeve, and (iii) a user-operated control device configured to operate the gear assembly to rotate the sleeve,

wherein rotation of the sleeve causes the cutting assembly to move between the plurality of cutting positions while the cutting assembly is driven by the motor.

2. The food processor of claim 1, wherein the user-operated control device includes a control knob having a grip and a shaft extending inwardly from the control knob into the base.

3. The food processor of claim 1, wherein:

the cutting assembly comprises a cutting blade and a rotating disk, and

rotation of the sleeve in a first direction causes upward movement of the rotating disk relative to the cutting blade, and rotation of the sleeve in a second direction causes downward movement of the rotating disk relative to the cutting blade.

4. The food processor of claim 1, wherein the gear assembly comprises:

(i) a first gear including a first plurality of teeth, the first gear being moveably coupled to the sleeve such that rotation of the first gear causes rotation of the sleeve, and

(ii) a second gear including a second plurality of teeth interdigitated with the first plurality of teeth such that rotation of the second gear causes rotation of the first gear.

5. The food processor of claim 4, wherein the first gear is a worm gear.

6. The food processor of claim 4, wherein the user-operated control device includes a grip formed on the second gear, the grip being operable by a user to rotate the second gear.

7. The food processor of claim 4, wherein the user-operated control device includes a ring having a third plurality of teeth defined on an inner surface, the third plurality of teeth being interdigitated with a number of the second plurality of teeth such that rotation of the ring causes rotation of the second gear.

8. The food processor of claim 7, wherein the bowl includes a lower wall and the ring is rotatively coupled to the lower wall of the bowl.

9. The food processor of claim 8, wherein the ring has a grip formed thereon operable by a user to rotate the ring.

10. The food processor of claim 1, further comprising a drive shaft configured to transmit a driving force from the motor to the cutting assembly, wherein the drive shaft extends through an opening defined in the sleeve, the opening being sized such that the sleeve is spaced apart from the drive shaft.

11. The food processor of claim 1, wherein the user-operated control device includes a lever extending outwardly from the base and moveable relative to the base, the lever being coupled to the gear assembly such that movement of the lever relative to the base causes the gear assembly to rotate the sleeve.

12. A food processor comprising:

a base having a motor positioned therein,

a bowl removably coupled to the base,

a lid removably coupled to the bowl so as to define a processing chamber, the lid having a feed tube that opens into the bowl,

a cutting assembly positioned in the processing chamber and driven by the motor to cut food items advanced through the feed tube, the cutting assembly being positionable between a plurality of cutting positions to produce cut food items of varying thicknesses, and

an adjustment assembly comprising a user-operated control device operable to move the cutting assembly between the plurality of cutting positions while the cutting assembly is driven by the motor, the user-operated control device including a shaft extending outwardly from the base and a control knob coupled to the shaft,

wherein rotation of the control knob causes the cutting assembly to move between the plurality of cutting positions while the cutting assembly is driven by the motor.

13. The food processor of claim 12, wherein the adjustment assembly further comprises a gear assembly located in the base that is operable to move the cutting assembly between the plurality of cutting positions, and rotation of the control knob causes the gear assembly to move the cutting assembly between the plurality of cutting positions.

14. The food processor of claim 13, wherein:

the adjustment assembly further comprises (i) an adaptor having a first end coupled to the cutting assembly, and (ii) a sleeve rotatively coupled to the base and to a second end of the adaptor, the sleeve having an inner surface with a groove defined therein, and

the gear assembly comprises a first gear including a first plurality of teeth defined on an outer surface and a spline extending from an inner surface, the spline being received in the groove of the sleeve such that rotation of the first gear causes rotation of the sleeve.

15. The food processor of claim 14, wherein the gear assembly includes a rack and pinion configured to translate rotation of the control knob into rotation of the first gear.

16. The food processor of claim 15, wherein the rack includes a second plurality of teeth interdigitated with the first plurality of teeth of the first gear.

17. The food processor of claim 16, wherein:

the control knob is secured to a first end of the shaft and the pinion is secured to a second end of the shaft, and

the pinion includes a third plurality of teeth interdigitated with a fourth plurality of teeth defined on the rack.

18. The food processor of claim 14, wherein the first gear is a worm gear and the gear assembly comprises a second gear including a second plurality of teeth interdigitated with a number of the first plurality of teeth of the worm gear.

19. The food processor of claim 12, wherein:

the cutting assembly comprises a cutting blade and a rotating disk, and

rotation of the control knob in a first direction causes upward movement of the rotating disk relative to the cutting blade, and rotation of the control knob in a second direction causes downward movement of the rotating disk relative to the cutting blade.

20. A food processor comprising:

a base having a motor positioned therein,

a bowl removably coupled to the base,

a lid removably coupled to the bowl so as to define a processing chamber, the lid having a feed tube that opens into the bowl,

a cutting assembly positioned in the processing chamber and driven by the motor to cut food items advanced through the feed tube, the cutting assembly being positionable between a plurality of cutting positions to produce cut food items of varying thicknesses, and

an adjustment assembly comprising (i) a gear assembly positioned in the base, the gear assembly being operable to move the cutting assembly between the plurality of cutting positions while the cutting assembly is driven by the motor, and (ii) a user-operated control device including a thumbwheel positioned in a slot defined in the base, the thumbwheel being configured to operate the gear assembly to move the cutting assembly.

21-40. -40. (canceled)